An unprecedented snowstorm has hit America: more than 60 dead and thousands of homes left without power.
The United States of America is in the grip of a winter storm considered “a potential danger to life” by meteorologists. A blizzard with winds of 64 kilometers per hour folded America in two during the holiday season causing the death of over 60 people.
Not only that, 300,000 people were left without electricity, but the situation is still alarming. “A dramatic situation,” U.S. authorities commented, while officials warned that the death toll could rise in the coming hours as the blizzard hit two-thirds of the eastern United States.
The latest National Weather Service (NWS) bulletin informed, “In some areas, being outdoors could lead to frostbite within minutes.” The images shared on social media and in magazines are truly frightening with entire towns covered in snow.
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Arctic snowstorm in the US: record-breaking temperatures at -48°
Weather forecasts indicate that the blizzard will continue in the coming days affecting also Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky. The situation is also alarming in New York state with the governorate urging all citizens to stay at home.
Airports also closed with more than 3,000 flights canceled. The record temperature reached was -48 degrees.
The U.S. National Weather Service spoke of “an almost unprecedented storm affecting 60 percent of the U.S. population, and spreading from the Great Lakes of Canada to the Mexican border.”
Thousands of people are stranded in their homes by snow and thousands of businesses left without power. “Save energy” is the call from power companies in many U.S. states urging citizens to conserve energy as the big freeze has caused demand to soar.
US snowstorm, thousands of flights canceled or postponed
Airlines grounded more than 3,900 aircraft. By Wednesday, with the rush to prepare for record bad weather, “frozen” flights have now exceeded six thousand.
Seattle Airport has completely closed its runways indefinitely due to ice. Delivery giant FedEx, a symptom of the economic damage also brought with it by the storm-record, reported “substantial shutdowns” of operations at its large Indianapolis and Memphis locations.
But the repercussions of the natural disaster multiplied. The Northeast of the US also suffered severe flooding along the coast.
Read also: Extreme weather is occurring more frequently worldwide
